Thread by @MattGertz

Jim Nolte was one of Breitbart's first hires, and made his bones writing anti-media screeds defending Trump’s most indefensible comments. He has credibility with and insight into the right. So it's interesting how he's trying to get his readers vaccinated. mediamatters.org/coronavirus-co…

What Nolte is telling his readers is that the "organized left," including Biden, is using "reverse psychology," pushing Trumpists to get vaccinated knowing that that will make them refuse to do it.

Their aim is for more Trumpists to die so it's easier for Dems to win elections.

This is wrong, and crazy. But it's based on what I think is a pretty good read on the Trump base -- they're so brain-poisoned by reflexive partisanship and conspiracy theories that they'll refuse lifesaving meds if they think that will allow them to own the libs.

Nolte concocted his new pro-vax conspiracy theory within those parameters. He says the left has deceived the right into thinking they can own libs by not taking the vaccine, when REALLY they can own the libs by taking it.

Nolte's been part of the right-wing media for about as long as I've written about it. And we seem to have the same read on the right as consumed by conspiratorial thinking and pathological hatred of the left.

Where we differ is he normally thinks that's a good thing.

I’d argue instead that these are the tragic but foreseeable fruits of Nolte and a generation of others in right-wing media relentlessly stoking rage and paranoia on the right.

But frankly, while Nolte's argument is toxic and conspiracy minded, he is at least trying. We've largely seen center-right commentators who lack credibility with Trumpists promoting vaccines, while whose with more sway over that audience undermine those efforts.

Nolte’s argument is wrong, but at least he’s trying. And because it is wrong, I hope his effort succeeds.

Please, own me. mediamatters.org/coronavirus-co…